


June, 1985

by ussnicole



Series: Welcome to Suburbia [3]
Category: All Time Low
Genre: 1985, Bonfires, Cigarettes, Friends With Benefits, Good times, High School, M/M, Memories, Nice2KnoU, Partying, Roadtrips, Six Feet Under the Stars, Suburbia, Summer, Underage Drinking, Underage Recreational Drug Use, Vegas, alex is a player, songfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-05 22:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11587890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ussnicole/pseuds/ussnicole
Summary: Paradise in Suburbia.Alex never wanted summer to end.





	1. Nice2KnoU

**Author's Note:**

> Please help me decide! I will be doing a full year's worth of months, but they range from 1979 to 3019. Should I do them in month order or chronologically (by year)? I don't know, either way works. Either way the Twenty One Pilots fic will be in a different place than it is now. The order will change as I write each story.

Even though the sun had gone down an hour ago, it was still desperately hot. Alex didn’t remember it ever getting so hot in Suburbia, but it didn’t matter enough to bother him. No, Alex was a man on a mission. He stood on the corner of Thames and South Broadway, outside the 7-11 next to the pay phone. Digging through his pockets for change, he rummaged out a quarter and plugged it into the phone, dialing a number and waiting for a minute.

“Hey, come to the beach… so what... a bonfire… sneak out... come on, please?... everyone… yeah… I’ll make it worth your while… yeah… okay... meet you there.” Another boy ran up as Alex hung up the phone, glancing at him questioningly.

“Who was that?”

“Oh, no one. You ready?” Alex evaded the question, leaning against the phone booth.

“Was that Jack?”

“Shut up, Zack,” Alex responded, shooting him a playful glare.

“Whatever. Did you bring the soccer ball?” Zack asked, raising his eyebrows at Alex.

“It’s right there, open your eyes.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.” Together the two boys went down Thames to Ocean Avenue, which they crossed. Immediately across the street was a boardwalk and past that was the ocean. A bonfire was already lit further down the beach and they ran towards the fire, greeted by the crowd of teenagers gathered around it. Someone had brought a boom box and bag of mix tapes; currently Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham! was blaring out of the speakers.

Zack immediately stole the soccer ball and ran off with a group of guys to play soccer, but Alex stuck close to the fire. A girl he knew vaguely from school walked up and gave him a drink, chatting for a while, but soon she too wandered off.

“I don’t know why I give you second chances,” a voice spoke behind Alex, causing him to turn and grin.

“Because you love me, that’s why,” he responded, wrapping his arms around the new arrival’s neck. “I’m irresistible.” The taller boy just rolled his eyes, leaning back as Alex went to kiss him. “Oh, come on Jack! It’s summer, let loose, have some fun.”

“You are ridiculous,” Jack told him, his stern look melting off his face. Alex grinned triumphantly.

“Let’s get carried away.”


	2. Six Feet Under the Stars

Summer jobs, Alex decided, were absolutely terrible. The only flip side to his summer job was that Alex worked at a music store and so was able to make mix tapes in his free time. Since he was back in Jack’s good graces (at least for now), Alex spent most of his work day creating a mix tape for Jack. Once he finished he looked at the clock, groaning when he realized he still had an hour of work. Running to his boss, he managed to get the rest of the evening off.

It was a quick drive back to Alex’s house, where he changed into more comfortable clothes and then went to the telephone. His little sister was gabbing to her best friend (who lived down the street!), so Alex pestered her until she hung up and then dialed Jack’s number.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Barakat answered the phone, delivering a long lecture about how Alex was to leave Jack alone and that he was a bad influence and a terrible troublemaker. Alex sat down halfway through, grinning. It wasn’t the first – or the last – time he would hear this. Finally, Jack came to the rescue.

“Mom! Leave him alone, for crying out loud. He called for me. Hey, sorry about that.”

“Oh, no worries. Always a pleasure to be scolded by someone who isn’t my parents. Anyway… you busy tonight?” Alex asked, smiling as Jack started talking to _his_ younger siblings, fending them off as he tried to use the phone.

“Hey! No, I’m on it. I’m talking to Alex, now go away! Don’t look at me like that. Alex? Yeah, no I’m not busy tonight. What’s up?”

“Meet me on Thames.” Alex didn’t have to elaborate further than this short command. Since both Alex and Jack lived near Main Street, they could just meet in the middle, at the intersection of Main and Thames. Thames would then take them down to South Broadway, where there was a club that tended to turn the other way when kids with fake IDs came around. From there, they could easily walk down to Ocean Avenue and on to the beach.

Ten minutes later Alex kicked up his skateboard and waited at the corner of Main and Thames, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting up. The cigarette was short-lived, however, as Alex saw a familiar car and rushed to pull it out of his mouth and hide it behind his back. The car slowed and pulled over, and the window rolled down.

“Alexander William Gaskarth, where do you think you’re going?” Alex pretended to notice the car, looking over in fake surprise and smiling brightly. Two unpleasant looking adults leaned towards the open window closest to him.

“Hi mom, hi dad. I was just going downtown to hang out with Jack,” he said as innocently as he could muster. His dad, who was in the passenger seat, narrowed his eyes and craned to see behind Alex’s back.

“Is that smoke?”

At the same time, Alex’s mom said, “I think you should leave that Barakat boy alone. He’s a good kid, and he doesn’t need you influencing him.”

“Wow, thanks mom,” Alex responded sarcastically, casually avoiding his dad’s question. Just then, Jack rode up on his skateboard, standing next to Alex and carefully taking the cigarette from him. He then did a very smooth move where he kicked his board up while simultaneously dropping the cigarette and crushing it behind the board. Alex held his hands up to show his dad and then he and Jack rode off, ignoring Alex’s parents as they called for him to get back home at a reasonable time.

“That was a good half a cigarette,” Alex whined, although he smiled at Jack.

“You’re welcome.”

“Did you bring it? Because I haven’t had a drink in forever and I think I might explode.”

“Always a drama queen.”

The two of them hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes, Alex not-so-subtly dropping pick up lines and trying to make Jack flustered. Jack had passed Alex a bottle of jäger that he had somehow managed to steal from his family’s liquor cabinet; this was a source of awe for Alex, who wouldn’t dare try to sneak any liquor out of his own house.

“I think I hate this town,” Alex mused, bottle of jäger that they had been sharing nearly finished. They had been skating around near the beach and stopped at a park bench overlooking one of the more popular areas. There were kids out on the sand, enjoying the sunset and playing in the surf. A virtual paradise, Jack noted. Alex just shrugged. “I feel stuck here. Like, if I got out I could be something. Instead I have to be just another nobody.”

“What’s keeping you here,” Jack asked him, raising his eyebrows. Alex had drunk most of the bottle, and Jack could tell. Alex, rolling dice and hoping that Jack would stick around a bit longer, replied honestly.

“You.”

Ten minutes later, the sun had set and Alex suggested trying their luck at the club that might ignore their fake IDs. Jack followed him, amused as Alex struggled to skateboard and then gave up and carried it along with him. When they got to the club there was a bit of a queue, but both boys were happy to wait in line and talk to the other people.

Surprisingly, Alex noted with a bit of a slur, the line moved fairly quickly and soon they were being asked for their IDs. Jack went first and was admitted without a second glance, but the bouncer took one look at Alex’s and refused to let him enter. Alex blushed bright red at this and looked helplessly at Jack, who took charge of the situation and got indignant, telling the bouncer that they would no longer be coming to the club. The bouncer just shrugged and Jack led Alex off; Alex was too embarrassed to function.

“What a letdown,” was all that managed to come out of Alex’s mouth once they had made their way back to the bench that they had left, sitting down together.

“Happens to the best of us,” Jack answered gently, patting Alex’s knee. Alex swiveled towards Jack and looked him in the eye.

“I feel like I’m digging my grave asking this, but… can I kiss you?”

“What the hell,” Jack breathed, leaning in.

“Six feet under the stars,” Alex responded, pressing his lips to Jack’s.


	3. Vegas

When the night had begun to cool and it was too cold to stay out under the stars, Jack invited Alex back to his house. They had to sneak upstairs quietly, careful not to wake anyone in the house, but they made it to Jack’s bedroom successfully and collapsed on his bed together, laughing breathlessly and getting comfortable.

“Remember the road trip we took last summer with Rian and Zack?” Alex whispered, turning so that he was facing Jack. The curtains on the window were open, the yellow light from a streetlamp illuminating their outlines in the dark.

“To Vegas,” Jack breathed, chuckling. “We had so much coffee we were shaking. Yeah, that was a great trip.”

“I miss it. I miss spending time with everyone, with you, I – fuck, Jack. I’m sure as hell the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“This from a guy who got his fake ID turned down two hours ago,” Jack quipped dryly, leaning forward to kiss the tip of Alex’s nose. He missed, kissing his lips instead. “Whoops.”

“Cheeky bastard,” Alex joked, rolling closer to Jack. “Listening to all the music our parents told us not to.”

“You’re all I dream about,” Jack said out loud, the words spilling into the quiet night and surrounding them. Alex sat up abruptly and grabbed Jack’s hand.

“I would have married you in Vegas had you given me the chance.”

“We’re seventeen.”

“I would have.”

“I would have married you right back.”


	4. Good Times

“After high school, I’m getting the hell out of here,” Alex told Zack, Rian, and Jack one night as they hung out on the beach. Jack kicked the sand, unresponsive, but both Zack and Rian laughed.

“And do what?” Rian asked, shoving Alex’s shoulder. “Hitchhike? We’re only going to be juniors.”

“I want to start a band!” Alex whined, shoving Rian back indignantly. “Tour the world, play songs, meet people. I don’t want to be stuck here for the rest of my life.” When Zack laughed again, Alex stopped and folded his arms. “I’m serious.”

“Let’s do it,” Jack spoke up, causing everyone to look at him.

“I mean, I’m all for it but I think Zack and Rian are straight,” Alex replied, wiggling his eyebrows at his friends. Zack and Rian groaned, Zack throwing a paper he had pulled out of his pocket at Alex, but Jack blushed a bright red and began to protest.

“That’s not what I – goddamn it Alex! I meant the band! Jesus.” All four of them started to laugh, continuing their walk. As they began to veer back towards Ocean Avenue they slowed and walked closer together; the four of them were considered part of the skater crowd, which had a big feud with the punk crowd. A few punk kids were gathered under a streetlight on Ocean Avenue, badmouthing them and looking to pick a fight.

Zack slowly, carefully reached into his backpack, pulling out an air horn slyly. When the four friends were close enough to the punks, he blew the air horn loudly and then they all ran off the other way, scaring the punks and effectively avoiding confrontation. They also found this quite amusing, and once they were far enough away they all collapsed and laughed for a long time. Alex was on the ground, rolling around. Jack had his hands on his knees and was wheezing, and Zack and Rian were holding onto each other’s shoulders and clutching their sides, wincing as they laughed too hard.

“I am so glad you brought that,” Rian told Zack, grinning at the air horn.

“Did you bring cigarettes too?” Alex asked hopefully, trying to get a glimpse into Zack’s backpack. Zack waved him off and pulled out a carton of Camels, handing them out. Jack passed but the other three didn’t, and soon they lit up and began to smoke. Jack occasionally stole Alex’s and took a drag, the burning end glowing orange and lighting up his face. Alex stole a kiss as he reached for the smoke, smiling as Jack blew smoke into the night air.

“I’ll never forget nights like these.”


End file.
